When You Come Home
by Veridissima
Summary: Ned comes home after fighting in the Greyjoy's Rebellion, and this time he has the people he loves waiting. Cat/Ned and Ned and the kids (especially Jon)


_So this is my first "Song of Ice and Fire" story, I really hope you like it._

_So this is right after Ned comes back from fighting on the Greyjoy's Rebellion, and I'm also believing that Arya was born during that time, I've watched the show and I've started the first book, so I'm sorry if it's said that she wasn't born during that Rebellion._

_And this idea came to me, because I was thinking that during the Rebellion Jon was alone in Winterfell with Catelyn (with many more people, but you get what I'm saying) and what would his life had been during that time._

_I don't own anything, these characters belongs to GRRM._

* * *

**Ned Stark**

Another war is over, and Lord Stark is in his way back to Winterfell, the last time he came back, he didn't know what to expect, his brother's betrothed and a son he never met, but now he knows, he's coming back to his family, to a woman he now loves, to a son of five, to a girl of two, to a daughter he never met and to a nephew of five, no…, a bastard son of five (for his sake, the truth remains hidden, even knowing how much it hurts Cat).

When he arrives to Winterfell, he wants to jump from his horse and run to Cat, but that isn't how a lord acts. Robb and Sansa both jump in his arms (Jon isn't here), they have grown so much, Robb is by his waist and Sansa is now walking and talking. When he reaches Cat, he brings her hands to his lips and from his mouth he says:

"Lady Catelyn." That masks his desire to take her, to kiss her lips, to stroke her hair.

"Glad you're home, my lord. This is your newest daughter, I named her Arya."

She looks like him, like Lyanna, like a Stark, she doesn't have the Tully features that both Sansa and Robb had when they were born.

"She's beautiful."

"No, she isn't. She cries a lot, father." Cat scolds Sansa before he could say anything.

"She's beautiful, just like you, my sweetling. But she does cry a lot, almost every time we pick her up, she's now sleeping, I advise you not to wake her… my lord."

"If you say so, my lady. I'll get to know her later. My lady, I would like you to present my ward. Theon, come here." He walks to Ned and politely presents himself to her. Soon their introduction ends and Catelyn takes charge of the children.

"Robb, why don't you take Theon to the lessons with you. And Sansa, you go with Septa Mordane."

"But mother…, father is back…" Both their children complain.

"And he needs his rest."

"I promise I will play with you both later. Don't keep them waiting." He says, picking up Sansa giving her a kiss on the top of her head and ruffling Robb's hair.

When they are finally alone inside her chambers, he takes her in his arms and finally tells her and shows her how much he misses her and loves her.

* * *

It doesn't matter how tired he is, he can't fall asleep, it doesn't matter that he is in a featherbed, and that the woman he loves is in his arms, sleep doesn't come. He stands up silently not wanting to wake her, dresses in warms but simple clothes and kisses her head before leaving.

Wandering the halls of his castle, a million memories come to him, until he reaches his door and knocks.

"Yes." Ned opens the door a little and enters, Jon looks at him and runs to his arms.

"Father." Ned hugs him back with equal strength. "I missed you."

"Me too. I expected you to be there when I came home."

"I didn't think it was proper for a bastard, my lord." The way he says it, it's so cold, that shocks Ned. Jon hadn't only grown in size like Robb, but he also grew up mentally. He knew he couldn't hide that word from him forever, he was bond to know what he is to be called, but it still hurts that he's five and that he wasn't there to explain things to him.

"I had wanted to see you. Don't listen to them, you are a Stark, you have my blood running through your veins."

"Thank you. I love you, father."

"I love you too…" But he isn't… _Promise me, Ned_… "… son. What have you and Robb been learning?"

"The houses, their words and their sigils."

"So tell me one of them."

"The Targaryen's, their words are Fire and Blood and their sigil is a three-headed dragon which represents Aegon and his sisters." He chooses his father's house.

"Good."

"Why were they killed?" They took his mother.

"They took your aunt." But they were in love. "How does it sound if we take Robb and go to the village?"

"Good." He stands up from the place in bed where he's sitting. "Father..." Jon calls.

"Yes, Jon."

"Can I meet my sister?"

"What?"

"Arya. Can I see her?"

"You haven't seen her?" He asks him surprised; she's been alive for almost six weeks.

"No. Only when Lady Catelyn carried her while she went to call Robb when we were playing in the yard. But even then I didn't see her face."

"Lady Catelyn doesn't take her to the table during the meals?" He sees Jon looking down and before he says it, he already knows what is it.

"I usually ate in my chambers alone, father."

"That stops now." He can't help but be a little mad at Cat. And he can't stop thinking about what would have happened, if he had died, all his children had a mother, he wouldn't, Cat would send him away and if his real fatherhood was found he would be killed

"I don't mind, father. It's quite and nice."

"I'm sure. But you belong at the table with the rest of the Starks. Let's go introduce you to your little sister."

The way to the chamber is quick and soon they are inside, next to the small crib.

"She looks like me and you."

"Yes, she has the Stark features like you." Ned had thanked the Gods, more than one time, that he wasn't born with yellow hair and violet eyes, if that had happened his skull would have been smashed.

"Can I hold her?"

"Yes, but be careful. If she wakes up, she will cry. Catelyn said she cries almost every time she's awake." Jon quickly gets her to his arms; they fit perfectly, like two peas in a pod. And soon she starts to open her eyes.

"Father, she's waking up."

"Shh…" Ned takes his finger to her belly and she takes it, and moves closer to Jon's chest, and cries don't come.

* * *

**Catelyn Stark**

She wakes with sound coming from the room next door, and she sees it, three people who look so much alike, who could be a perfect family, and she sees that her daughter looks so much like his bastard. She also knows that with Ned back, she needs to stop pretending that he doesn't exist, because he's real.

But what hurts her more is that while Arya cried for her, her first giggle and smile are to Jon.

And when her eyes meet Ned's, just before leaving the room, they are just as hurt as the first time she laid eyes on his bastard son.

* * *

_So I hope you liked, I would love to know your opinion._

_Sorry for any mistakes (English is not my first language)._

_And I'm writing another story, also a one-shot, and if anyone it's interested in being a beta for it, leave me a review or a PM._

_Secondly, I've been thinking about writing a Modern AU, but I can't choose between these two ideas, please tell me what you think I should write first. They are an High school AU, in which the students are Ned, Catelyn, Brandon, Lyanna, Jaime, Rhaegar, etc… or a story in which Catelyn is a divorced woman with four children (Robb, Sansa, Bran and Rickon) and Ned is a single father raising his nephew (Jon) and his daughter (Arya), this story would not only deal with Ned and Cat's relationship but also the kids'lives (so maybe would also be a little of a high school AU)._


End file.
